Apparatus for folding fabric material in layers

ABSTRACT

A reciprocating carriage is advanced along a folding table and is provided with a support for a bale of fabric to be unwound. A folding head is carried by the carriage for folding the fabric on the table at each end of stroke of the carriage. The folding head includes two opposed folding shovels supported by opposite lateral walls and each tiltable about a horizontal axis. The free lower edges of the shovels are aligned with each other and define a longitudinal gap for passage of the fabric from the bale. Two inclined arms are mounted on the inner surfaces of each of the lateral walls for engaging guiding rollers at both sides of a pivotable fabric clamping beam which serves the purpose of holding the ends of the folded stack of fabric layers. The beam extends across the folding table and lifts the front folding shovel at the same time that the beam is being lifted. A gap is provided between the upper ends of the arms at each lateral wall permitting the guiding rollers to drop therebetween, and secured to the walls below the gap is a stop bar for catching the fabric clamping beam at such an elevation that a slot is provided between the lower side of the clamping beam and the upper side of the unlifted folding shovel permitting a loose support of the fabric in the slot.

United States Patent n91 Stumpf [4 May 29, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FOR FOLDI NG FABRIC MATERIAL IN LAYERS [76] Inventor: Gunter Otto Stumpf, Kreis Muningen, 7421 Mehrstetten, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 21, 1970 [211 App]. No.: 100,094

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 12, 1970 Germany ..P 70 37 650.0

[52] US. Cl ..270/31 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 29/46 [58] Field of Search ..270/30, 31

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,478,798 10/1969 Grimm et al. ..270/31 A 3,141,665 7/1964 Gilbert ..270/3l Rosenbach ..270/3l Theodosiou .270/ 3 1 Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Assistant Examiner-L. R. Oremland Attorney--Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [5 7] ABSTRACT A reciprocating carriage is advanced along a folding table and is provided with a support for a bale of fabric to be unwound. A folding head is carried by the carriage for folding the fabric on the table ateach end of stroke of the carriage. The folding head includes two opposed folding shovels supported by opposite lateral walls and each tiltable about a horizontal axis. The free lower edges of the shovels are aligned with each other and define a longitudinal gap for passage of the fabric from the bale. Two inclined arms are mounted on the inner surfaces of each of the lateral walls for engaging guiding rollers at both sides of a pivotable fabric clamping beam which serves the purpose of holding the ends of the folded stack of fabric layers. The beam extends across the folding table and lifts the front folding shovel at the same time that the beam is being lifted. A gap is provided between the upper ends of the arms at each lateral wall permitting the guiding rollers to drop therebetween, and secured to the walls below the gap is a stop bar for catching the fabric clamping beam at such an elevation that a slot is provided between the lower side of the clamping beam and the upper side of the unlifted folding shovel permitting a loose support of the fabric in the slot.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Patented May 29, 1973 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 APPARATUS FOR FOLDING FABRIC MATERIAL IN LAYERS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to apparatus for folding fabric in layers, which is moved and guided along a folding table above its top surface by means of guiding wheels and provided with a supporting means for a bale of fabric to be unwound, wherein a folding head is provided in the apparatus for superimposing the fabric in layers below the supporting means, which folding head consists of two folding shovels which are supported in two lateral walls and tiltable about a horizontal axis, the free lower edges of which are aligned with each other and define a longitudinal gap for passage of the fabric coming from the bale, and wherein two inclined arms are provided on the inner surfaces of each of the lateral walls, extending upwardly within the head through recesses in the folding shovels for the support of guiding rollers, the arms being arranged at both sides of a pivotal clamping beam which serves the purpose of holding the ends of the folded stack of fabric layers, the beam extending across the folding table, and being capable of lifting the front folding shovel. The beam is pivotable about a horizontal axis by means of a carrying arm attached to the clamping beam and to the folding table and wherein, furthermore, a gap is provided between the upper ends of the arms at each lateral wall to permit the guiding rollers to drop therein. The process of zigzag folding of fabric in the known apparatus is conducted in such a manner that-the arms of the folding head engage the guiding rollers of the fabric clamping beam when the folding device enters the so-called end apparatus which consists of, in general, the pivotal clamping beam, and its carrying arm and the clamping beam is lifted from the already folded stack of fabric layers during further advancement of the folding head. Simultaneously, the front folding shovel is lifted by means of the clamping beam until the guiding rollers of the clamping beam reach the end of the front arm and thereafter fall through the gap between the arms, so

that the clamping beam falls on the other, unlifted, folding shovel. Hereby,v the fabric is simultaneously clamped between the unlifted folding shovel and the clamping beam. In course of the backward movement of the folding device the unlifted folding shovel is pulled away, and the fabric clamping beam presses the end of the new layer of fabric against the previous stack of fabric layers.

Experience has shown that the above arrangement is deficient in that accuracy of positioning of the fabric ends is not ensured in view of the partial pulling back of the fabric during the backward movement of the folding head from the end apparatus. Moreover, considerable noise results from the impact of the fabric clamping beam on the unlifted folding shovel.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for folding the fabric in layers, of the above class, in which the accuracy of the superimposition of the folded fabric layers is achieved at their ends, with high noise absorption.

In order to achieve the above objective, it is proposed according to the invention, that a stop bar for the fabric clamping beam be provided below the gap between the arms at the inner surface of each lateral wall of the folding head at such an elevation that a slot is provided between the lower surface of the fabric clamping beam and the upper surface of the unlifted folding shovel, permitting the loose support of the fabric in this slot.

As a result of the thus obtained loose support of the fabric in the slot between the lower surface of the fabric clamping beam and the unlified folding shovel, the shifting of the stack of fabric layers at the ends of the folded fabric is avoided during the backward movement of the folding head from the end apparatus, as the differences of the friction between the shovel, fabric and fabric clamping beam no longer has any influence on the resulting fabric layers. In addition to this, the fabric beam produces a comparatively low sound when falling on the stop bars.

An especially advantageous construction results, if the stop bars and the guiding rollers of the fabric clamping beam are coordinated in such a manner according to another feature of the invention, that the guiding rollers come to a rest on the stop bar. The falling distance is hereby further diminished, so that an effective reduction of the resulting sound is obtained.

In order to be able to adjust the apparatus to various thicknesses of distinctive kinds of fabric layers to be folded, the invention further contemplates the adjustable support of the stop bar with respect to its vertical position on the end walls.

The sound absorption can be further promoted, by making the stop bar of sound absorbing material, for instance rubber, plastic material or the like, and, according to a further feature of the invention, the stop bar can be covered at its upper surface by such a material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view an apparatus for superimposing fabric in layers,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the folding head of such apparatus wherein a front lateral wall has been removed, and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along line IIIIII in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows a folding table with a top plate 1 and columns 2 supporting the top plate. Rails 3 are fastened to the columns 2 at least along one side of the table, and a device 4 for folding fabric in layers rests upon, and moves along the rails 3 by means of wheels 5. The rails 3 advantageously are constructed as round bars and the wheels 5 have a corresponding grooved profile. The device 4 is provided with a carriage 6 which is displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the device 4 on rails 5 in order to adjust the position of the edges of the fabric 7 to be folded as will be explained later. The carriage 6 is provided with rollers 8 which rest upon rails (not shown) arranged on the upper side of the device 4. These rails can also be of a round profile and the rollers 8, as shown have a corresponding grooved profile.

The carriage 6 is provided with a support 9 for a bale of fabric 10, and the bale is placed on a shaft 11 which is supported in an open fork 12 at the upper end of support 9.

The fabric 7 to be unwound from the bale of fabric 10 is first guided over a guiding drum 15 of the carriage 6, and then the fabric is looped around a guiding drum 13 and a fabric feeding drum 14, the guiding drum 13 serving to increase the angle of contact of the fabric 7 with the fabric feeding drum 14. The fabric feeding drum 14 may be driven in known manner synchronously with the speed of superimposition of fabric layers by the device 4 for folding the fabric in layers.

Below the support 9 for the bale of fabric, and more particularly below the fabric feeding drum 14, there is provided a folding head 16. The folding head 16 is composed of folding shovels 19, 20, supported by lateral walls 17, only one of which is shown in FIG. 2, and the shovels are each tiltable about a respective horizontal axis. The lower edges 21, 22 of shovels l9 and face one another in aligned relation in rest position as shown in FIG. 2 and define a longitudinal gap 23 for the passage of the fabric 7 fed from the bale of fabric 10.

Two arms 24, 25 are mounted at the inner surface of both lateral walls 17, and the arms extend through two recesses 26, 27 of the folding shovels 19, 20 and are inclined upwardly into the interior of the folding head 16. The arms 24 and 25 serve the purpose of receiving and supporting guiding rollers 31 provided at both ends of a fabric clamping beam 30, which beam holds the ends 28 of the folded stack of fabric layers 29. The fabric clamping beam 30 extends across the top plate 1 of the folding table and is supported on the folding table in a pillow block 34 for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis 33 by means of a carrying arm 32. The elements 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 are designated as the end apparatus.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fabric clamping beam lifts the front folding shovel 20 during the advancement of the folding head 16 in the end apparatus.

A gap 35 is provided between the upper ends of both arms 24 and 25, permitting subsequent downward passage of the guiding rollers 31. The path of travel of the guiding rollers 31 on the arm 25 during the advance movement is shown in FIG. 3 in broken lines, by the various positions of the guiding rollers 31.

Below the gap 35, there is provided stop bar 36 for the fabric clamping beam 30 on the inner surface of each lateral wall 17 of the folding head 16. The stop bars are mounted at such a level that a slot 37 is formed between the lower surface of the fabric clamping beam 30, and the upper surface of the unlifted folding shovel (in FIG. 3 the left folding shovel 19) permitting the loose passage of the fabric 7 in this slot. By this loose support of the fabric, there is avoided shifting of the stack of fabric layers 29 at its ends 28 during the return movement of the folding head 16 from the end apparatus 30 35. This results from the fact that the differences between the friction coefficients of the folding shovel 19, fabric 7 and fabric clamping beam 30, in contrast to the known methods, have no influence on the folding i.e. on the coincidence of the superimposed layers of fabric.

The stop bars 36 and the guiding rollers 32 of the fabric clamping beam are coordinated in such a manner that the guiding rollers 31 come to rest on the stop bars 36 after passing through the gap 35. The degree of fall is substantially diminished when compared with the known embodiments, whereby a considerable reduction of noise resulting from the impact is achieved.

The stop bar 36 is adjustably mounted in elongated slots 40 in wall 17 for vertical adjustment for operation with various thicknesses of fabric.

The noise reduction can be promoted even further, if the stop bar 36 is made of a sound absorbing material or at least is provided with a coating of such a material at its upper surface 38.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

A bale of material 10 is placed in upper forks 12 on support 9 and the carriage 6 is laterally moved until the edges of the material are in proper position for folding on the table top 1. The edge of the material is threaded over rollers 15, 13 and 14 and then the edge is introduced into the folding head 16 through gap 23 for placement on the table. The device 4 is then actuated for reciprocal travel on rails 3 and the material is automatically folded when the folding head 16 enters the end apparatus 30 35 at each end of the table. Specifically when the head 16 enters the end apparatus at the right end of the table as shown in FIG. 1, the rollers 31 at the ends of beam 30 ride up on the arms 25 at each of the end walls 17 whereby the clamping beam 30 is lifted from the folded ends of the material. Concurrently, the right shovel 20 is pivoted upwardly by the clamping beam 30. The material 7 is now wound over the top of shovel 19 as the device 4 reverses direction, the beam 30 having dropped onto stop bars 36 by passage of rollers 31 through gap 35 either by gravity or downward bias of arm 32. As the device 4 continues in reverse travel, bars 36 are withdrawn from beam 30 and the latter clamps against the folded ends of the material, the shovel 20 subsequently being released from contact with the beam and dropping onto the upper surface of the folded material, said material passing through the gap 23. The operation is repeated at the left end of the machine and the cycle is continued until the desired number of layers have been produced.

It is particularly significant to note the free guidance of the material 7 in the slot 37 when the folding is being achieved, this being of importance in preventing shifting of the superimposed layers of material.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for folding materials in layers and having a table on which the layers are folded, a reciprocating device on said table supporting a supply of the material, a folding head carried on the reciprocating device for feeding the material onto the table and for forming folds in the material at the ends of stroke of the reciprocating device, and a pivotal clamping beam at each end of the table for holding the folds in the material on the table, an improvement comprising means carried by said folding head for lifting each beam away from the folds at the end of stroke positions of the reciprocating device and for subsequently allowing the beam to drop, and means for catching said beam and holding the same in a spaced position above the folds to provide loose passage of the material from the last fold to the supply at the end of stroke positions when the reciprocating device reverses direction, said folding device comprising a pair of opposed pivotal shovels having spaced free ends defining a gap through which the material can pass, said means for lifting the beam comprising a pair of inclined arms, one for each beam, fixed to said folding head for engaging the associated beam to lift the same, said arms being positioned relative to the shovels to cause the beams to lift the respective shovels when the beams are lifted, said means for catching the beam comprising a stop member fixed to the folding head beneath said arms, each beam having a roller at the side thereof, said arms cooperating with the rollers to cause the rollers to ride thereon, said arms being spaced at their inner ends to permit the rollers to pass there-between and fall onto said stop members,

said beambeing held above the folds by said rollers resting on the stop member. 1

2. An improvement as claimed in claim l'wherein said beam when held by the stop member defines a space with the unlifted shovel through which said material can loosely pass. 5

3. An improvement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said folding head includes fined lateral walls, one said pair of arms and stop member being fixed toeach said lateral wall.

thereof made of a sound absorbing material. 

1. In an apparatus for folding materials in layers and having a table on which the layers are folded, a reciprocating device on said table supporting a supply of the material, a folding head carried on the reciprocating device for feeding the material onto the table and for forming folds in the material at the ends of stroke of the reciprocating device, and a pivotal clamping beam at each end of the table for holding the folds in the material on the table, an improvement comprising means carried by said folding head for lifting each beam away from the folds at the end of stroke positions of the reciprocating device and for subsequently allowing the beam to drop, and means for catching said beam and holding the same in a spaced position above the folds to provide loose passage of the material from the last fold to the supply at the end of stroke positions when the reciprocating device reverses direction, said folding device comprising a pair of opposed pivotal shovels having spaced free ends defining a gap through which the material can pass, said means for lifting the beam comprising a pair of inclined arms, one for each beam, fixed to said folding head for engaging the associated beam to lift the same, said arms being positioned relative to the shovels to cause the beams to lift the respective shovels when the beams are lifted, said means for catching the beam comprising a stop member fixed to the folding head beneath said arms, each beam having a roller at the side thereof, said arms cooperating with the rollers to cause the rollers to ride thereon, said arms being spaced at their inner ends to permit the rollers to pass there-between and fall onto said stop members, said beam being held above the folds by said rollers resting on the stop member.
 2. An improvement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said beam when held by the stop member defines a space with the unlifted shovel through which said material can loosely pass.
 3. An improvement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said folding head includes fixed lateral walls, one said pair of arms and stop member being fixed tO each said lateral wall.
 4. An improvement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said shovels are pivotably connected at the ends thereof to said lateral walls, said shovels having recesses for the passage of said arms.
 5. An improvement as claimed in claim 3 comprising means adjustably fixing wherein each said stop member to said lateral wall with respect to its vertical position.
 6. An improvement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said stop member includes at least an upper portion thereof made of a sound absorbing material. 